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Whole Foods protesters head to court

Three protesters arrested at a June 2 Whole Foods meeting likely will have their first court hearings late this month, according to the Boston Police Department (BPD), which is pursuing criminal charges.

Peter Blailock, Chloe Frankel and Andrew Murray, all of JP, were arrested at a rowdy meeting hosted by Whole Foods at the Curley School at 493 Centre St.

Frankel and Murray were arrested after a llegedly hanging an anti-Whole Foods banner from the balcony of the school auditorium. Blailock was arrested attempting to unfurl another banner.

In an email last week, Blailock told the Gazette, “We were…arrested, held without being booked, released and told we would be getting summonses in the mail.”

Blailock said he had not yet received a summons when he emailed the Gazette. But BPD spokesperson Elaine Driscoll told the Gazette that a date for a preliminary hearing was set last week. She said she believes the hearing is scheduled for late July.

The three Whole Foods arrestees have not technically been charged with crimes yet. In cases like this a preliminary hearing is held with a clerk magistrate to determine if there is sufficient evidence that a crime has been committed for charges to be brought, Chris Phillips, an assistant clerk magistrate in Boston Municipal Court, told the Gazette.